Jedi News Comic Review: Darth Vader #10

It is a period of insurgency. After the destruction of the Death Star by a Force-strong rebel pilot, the Sith Lord DARTH VADER has taken it upon himself to discover the pilot’s true identity under the Empire’s ever-watchful eye.

Using the expertise of archaeologist and droid expert DOCTOR APHRA and a carefully selected crew of bounty hunters, Vader looted a stash of credits from an Imperial cruiser under the guise of an accident. However, Vader’s new adjunct Inspector Thanoth knows that all is not what it seems and plans to investigate the situation further.

Meanwhile Aphra, along with droids BT-1 and 000, are off to continue Vader’s mission: chasing information on the rebel pilot….

The Review

Darth Vader 10’s cover makes me laugh, as it shows Aphra looking like a guilty child caught stealing a cookie from the cookie jar. The mosaic Vader head in the back is also a cool visual.

As for the continues her investigation into the pilot who blew up the Death Star, and her search has brought her to Naboo. We learn a little more of Aphra’s backstory, which is well overdue, and we see a rare moment of weakness in which she lets her guard down and reveals the hardships her family faced during the Clone Wars. Yet, it’s hard to feel sorry for her, after what she does to the poor mortician who exhumed Padme Amidala’s body. However, the mission was successful. Aphra confirmed that Amidala story, Thanoth continues to bea Sherlock Holmes-type character, and Vader has fit snugly into the role of Watson. Thanoth’s deductions are also reminiscent of C-3PO calculating the odds; the only difference being that Thanoth deals in percentages.

Aphra gave birth to a son before she died. Yet, how did the mortician know it was a “healthy baby boy”. Luke was born on Polis Massa, and while certainly the mortician could learn that Amidala had been pregnant; it is unclear how he knew the child came out healthy, or what its gender was. While I may be nitpicking, I’m sure the futuristic medical equipment used by the mortician could have deduced that.

Anyway, this comic was great. It moved quickly and covered a lot of ground. It showed Vader’s manipulation and behind the scenes skullduggery perfectly, and gives us another nice cliffhanger. Plus, Vader’s pause at the mention of his former wife couldn’t have been more emotionally charged if it tried. I give this comic 4 out of 5 Death Stars.

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